singillatim | nature offers a violence

nature offers a violence

NOVEMBER 2023 EVENT

PROMPT ONE — WHITEOUT: Methuselah makes an unexpected early return to Milton to warn Interlopers of an impending monster storm, and boy does it surely come.

PROMPT TWO — A CHOICE: Following the storm, sightings of a mysterious stag prompts a hunt down in the Basin and out in the Outskirts.

PROMPT THREE — REST MY WEARY BONES: While the storm causes a great deal of mess, it also uncovers some far more pleasant surprises. Hot springs.

WHITEOUT

WHEN: Early to mid-month.
WHERE: Milton.
CONTENT WARNINGS: extreme weather; storms; blizzards; themes of survival; possible character cold-related injuries; possible themes of peril.

In the times that he is no longer occupying the Community Hall in the center of town to help tend to the newcomers, Methuselah is out in the wilds. Despite his growing age, he is a hardened survivor, and has been more than accustomed to life living as a nomad, out in the thickest, deepest parts of nature. Sometimes he can be encountered, sheltered in a cave or out in the woods, huddled by a warm campfire, or busying himself with his latest game catch. He seems to be always on the move, never staying for too long, and never coming into town — unless it’s to begin preparations for the latest batch of new arrivals.

To see him returning to Milton outside of these times is a curious sight, and the grim expression he carries is enough to make anyone wary. Even his voice is grave. The warmth and kindness usually found in his expression is gone, replaced with a deathly seriousness. He doesn’t speak in jest.

"I am long used to this world and its weather, even with the changing times to more bitter nights." he will say. "I have seen the years rise and fall, too many to count. Please, I beg that you hear me with this— a storm is coming. Greater than some of you may have ever known. It is in the air, and we must prepare to see it through. We do not have much time. Three days, perhaps. But no more."

He will tell anyone and everyone; encouraging the word to be spread around. He will instruct on what needs to be done, what needs to be gathered. The storm will be long and hard, and will last for some time. With that, Methuselah will begin to prepare the Community Hall as a place of refuge with a stock of food, fuel and water to get through the storm. Interlopers will be free to join Methuselah and bunker down together, or can choose to bunker down on their own in their own homes, or with others.

You have only three days.

And sure enough, the storm comes. Maybe you can notice the signs too: the sudden updraft, the slow gathering of clouds, the drop in temperature, the changes of pressure in the air.

Halfway through the third day, the storm rolls in: a ferocious snow-storm unlike anything you’ve seen before. Even with the fading amount of daylight as mid-winter approaches, the sky turns as dark as night as will stay like night for the duration. Strong howling winds batter the town, and even the sturdiest of buildings creak and groan under the weight. Trees will be felled, some buildings might not fare the storm.

Relentless snow that falls so hard it’s a complete whiteout, and will be impossible to navigate if one were to step outside. Even then, it isn’t advisable. The temperature is bitter, with a frigid windchill. Going out in this kind of storm would be a death sentence. Staying out in it for longer than a half-hour will certainly kill you.

It would be best to wait it out, to huddle around warm fires in the darkness. It may certainly be a test of patience, depending on your choice of place to stay. The storm will last a full week, a stark reminder of what you are, the words you have heard in your arrival: thrown to Mother Nature’s mercy, the Interloper in her design.

But will you persist?

A CHOICE

WHEN: Mid-month, onwards to end of month.
WHERE: Milton Basin, Milton Outskirts.
CONTENT WARNINGS: survival themes; themes of hunting; possible animal death.

After the storm passes, there’s a certain kind of hush that falls upon Milton and its surrounding areas as Interlopers are left to pick through the wake. While the temperature certainly doesn’t get that much warmer, there’s days and nights of clear, calm weather — short afternoons of weak sunshine and nights of chilly peace, the moon hung high in the starry skies. Winter is drawing ever-closer, but it’s still for a little while.

In the early evenings, before the sun sets, there’s strange sightings of a particular white stag that can be found roaming the area — particularly down in the Milton Basin. It seems quite elusive, but there’s plenty of Interlopers that have been able to capture a glimpse over the coming days. Even Methuselah himself has seen this beast before, remarking there has long been tall tales of a ghostly stag that roams the Northern Territories and is said to bring good fortune to those who manage to hunt it down.

Perhaps you’re a little low on luck. Perhaps you’re feeling lucky. You’re going to find that stag.

Hunting down the stag, however, will take a great deal of patience and time. You might find yourself waiting several hours to wait for it to appear. Building a snow shelter, or hunkering down in some old shack might be needed in order to keep warm. But if you’re patient enough, and able to withstand the cold for long enough — the beast will soon make an appearance.

In the dying light of the day, it is there. It’s unlike any deer you’ve seen before: tall and majestic, with thick, soft fur of brilliant white. It almost looks ghost-like in some angles, it’s an incredibly beautiful creature. But it seems to have also noticed you, just as you have noticed it. It doesn’t dart away, however. Instead it stands before you, waiting for you to act.

You have a choice: slay the creature, or let it go.

It will not move until you make your decision, holding your gaze until you raise your weapon or until you lower it and give up your hunt. But there is a consequence to either action: if you choose to kill the stag, you will be rewarded with a sizeable bounty of venison. Eating said meat will help you feel fuller for longer, and the meat will keep for far longer than any other deer slain.

However, if you choose to spare the stag, the creature will lower its head, as if bowing to you. Then, it will disappear with a swirling of powdered snow. When you return home for the evening and go to sleep, the next morning you will find a gift at the foot of your bed: a pair of deerskin boots, or a deerskin blanket. These boots are supple, tough and waterproof — allowing for a great balance of mobility and warmth. The blanket is incredibly toasty, and will provide a great deal of comfort in the long nights ahead.

REST MY WEARY BONES

WHEN: Mid-month, onwards indefinitely.
WHERE: Milton Outskirts.
CONTENT WARNINGS: n/a.

The storm has blown in plenty of snow to make traversing the area much more difficult, but there’s something else of note that comes with its passing. While the storm has brought much devastation, and some places have been buried in snow drifts, plenty of snow in areas has been blown away, uncovering otherwise lost secrets within Milton. Clouds of what looks like steam can be noted not too far from town, towards the mountains of the north.

If Interlopers head to explore the clouds, they will find old trails leading up towards the mountains. It isn’t a particularly difficult journey, for once, and they will soon discover that the storm has blown away the previously blocked access to a cave. It appears that this is the right place.

The air is warm here, pleasantly so. Warm enough that hats and mittens and coats seem a little unnecessary. One might wonder if someone lives within, and that a great fire is stoked to keep the place warm. But there’s no one in sight, no sounds of life: human, animal or otherwise. If they press on, they will discover that the cave floor is well worn with footfall: plenty of people have come here before, and the reason why is soon revealed.

The air grows even warmer, and more humid. The space opening to reveal small pools of slow-flowing water, warm water. The stone houses a natural hot spring, and following the cave out the other side will lead to another space in the rock open to the air, where there are even larger pools of warm water, perfectly sized and deep enough to bathe in. It seems that this place was frequently used by the people of Milton, where their life of hardship could be forgotten for an hour or two.

The water is pleasantly hot, and incredibly inviting. After so long in the freezing cold without modern appliances and utilities, a natural hot spring sounds like an absolute luxury.

FAQs

WHITEOUT

1. Characters are free to play around with this prompt how they want. Maybe they're dumb enough to go into the cold and get injured or sick. Maybe they're stuck in the Community Hall for the week. Fights might break out as tensions run high whilst everyone's stuck together, or maybe you're actually having a nice time.

2. For those stuck in the Community Hall: there are board games and old school textbooks stored in cupboards. There is also a piano.

3. A floorplan of the Community Hall can be found here.

A CHOICE

1. .... Yes, you can pet the ghost stag.

2. Characters will get one choice only with the ghost stag, meaning they can't keep going back to find it to get extra gifts.

3. If characters can't agree on a course of action, whoever acts first will get their gift. The second character will have a chance to try again another time.

4. If both characters agree on sparing the stag, but players want different gifts (ie. one player wants the boots and one wants the blanket), characters will get the gift the player wants their character to receive.

REST MY WEARY BONES

1. The hot springs will now be a permanent fixture in the Milton Area, enjoy!

PLOTTING POST

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Edward's more than happy to have Levi along. It's nice to have assistance, especially that of a young man with military experience. It's something of stability, and also reminds him of working alongside the other men on his ship. It also tugs forth that role within him, the one he'd known since he was a rather young man himself. First Lieutenant: his identity, pride, and responsibility.

The question has him looking up from where he's crouched down to arrange boxes of food, and perhaps it's clear from the way his face tightens that the thought weighs heavily on his mind. ]

Truthfully, I do not know. With the arrival of new refugees here, and limited supplies as it is.... [ The man offers a soft sigh. ] It may be that these supplies will need to be carefully rationed from the very beginning. People may be.... unhappy about it. You and I will need to keep a close eye on the situation.

I think we need to start hunting. Or send a team out to see if they can find another city or something.

[He's not sure how eager he was to try the latter, though. They had no idea where, or even if, the next town was.]

I meant for over the storm, though. If there are a lot of people maybe we should start rationing right away.

[He has no clue how people would react to that, though. He was uses to it, but being hungry most of the time wasn't very appealing.]

[ The older man offers a grim nod at that. ]

I was thinking of the storm, as well. If there are a great deal of people who will seek refuge here through it.... yes. We may need to ration from the start.

[ A pause as he debates whether he should share this information with Levi. He doesn't want to frighten the lad, but.... it's best to be prepared. ]

The ship on which I was stuck for some years.... We began to run out of food. And what we had left was... tainted.

...We must be prepared for people to become upset. Perhaps even hostile.

[He nods solemnly. He'd never been in the same situation, but it wasn't uncommon for rations to grow so low that the men had to hunt to supplement them. There'd be trouble leading up to that, and even more afterwards. Who wanted to hunt when enemy soldiers were around?
Thankfully no troop he was with ever fully ran out of food. But he'd heard stories...]

If it comes to that...I can take shifts guarding the food. I've seen people stealing more that their share before.

[ Edward gives another solemn nod, slowly standing up from where he'd been crouching down to sort through the foodstuff, and clapping a hand to Levi's shoulder for a moment. ]

Good man.

[ Yes, it's certainly a relief to have some assistance with this. ]

My intention is not to police anyone here, but... well, there must be order. Things can so quickly get out of hand, and the last thing we need is a ruckus happening within such closed quarters.

I understand. Hopefully we won't need to.

[He doesn't sound optimistic, though. If the storm lasts for more than a few days he's not really sure what to expect. Everyone here seemed reasonable, but that could easily unravel when stuck together or when supplies grew low.
He should probably start making mental notes of who he thinks he can take and who he can't--without the rifle, at least.]

[ Edward gives another grim little nod at that; he's not the most optimistic, either. This situation is deeply worrisome, and there are many unknowns. He's already thinking ahead to the worst, perhaps even expecting it. Because he knows what horrors it would hold, and he must prepare for those. ]

Next, we should start getting sets of sheets and blankets ready, so that we can hand them out to people when they come in. If they have to find their own, there may be some discord.

[ He tips his head towards a nearby box, Lieutenant Mode setting him into his usual tendency to give orders, though it's not harshly, only matter-of-factly. ]

There are some in there. Would you please start separating and folding them, Mr. Jordan? I'll keep working on the food stores.

[He nods. That made a lot of sense.]

Yes sir.

[The orders aren't a problem for Levi, its a easy groove to slip back into. Letting someone else make the decisions instead of having to make them himself. Some of the decisions in this place were hard.
He moves over to the box and begins sorting out sheets and blankets as requested.]

[ Oh, how he could relate to that. Edward is used to a certain leadership role, as the captain's second-in-command, but he doesn't thrive in being the one to make all of the decisions. He prefers to be given his own orders, and from there to order the rest of the men. It's a hierarchy that he's comfortable with, and he's been uneasy making these decisions all by himself.

He's just trying to think what Crozier would do, and to stick to what he knows from his own training. So he quietly gets back to work as Levi does, sliding and stocking boxes of food while the other sorts through the bed things. As he does, he's looking over his shoulder to watch over Levi every once in awhile, before finally speaking up again. Part of his role is to check in with the men, after all, and his brow knits in curious concern. ]

How are you feeling? Are you nervous by the thought of the storm?

I dunno.

[There's a short pause as he works before continuing.]

I'm nervous about it, but I'm nervous when anything different happens here.

[And, to be fair, most of the rest of the time. It's been years since he's truly let his guard down.]

If it's just a few days I don't think we'll have any trouble. But if it's weeks...I don't know how long snowstorms usually last. Or if that even matters. The auroras are not normal.

[ Ah. Edward pauses again where he's working on organising a few smaller boxes, wiping the palms of his gloved hands gently against the wool of his greatcoat. ]

I understand your concerns. I share them — very much so. [ Talking about his emotions and feelings is... difficult, something he'd grown so used to swallowing back. But in the face of a younger man who could use some support.... Edward finds himself opening up a bit. ]

I've seen storms, and men lost during them. I have no doubt it will be brutal. And the auroras... [ Of that, the man gives a soft sigh. ]

...I can not claim to understand how such things work here. All we can do is prepare as best as we can. Use both our training and our instincts to protect the people here, and one another. Please, feel free to come to me if you have any troubles throughout.

[If he has any troubles...Kate said doctors in her time said it was good to talk about things. But, no, not now. Those weren't new troubles, Edward probably meant about the things happening here. Right?]

I think its just natural to be worried. This isn't like what any of us have done before.

But, um, if I have any...I'll let you know, Sir.

[ Edward gives a soft smile, a little grim. ] You are probably right. Most would be.... worried, in this sort of situation.

[ ...But there's another thought, and after a moment he voices it. ]

....However, for some of us... perhaps the stress of it may be even more severe, depending on what horrors we may have witnessed back in our own worlds.

[ Of course, he isn't at all familiar with the term "PTSD", but... the basic concept of someone re-living particular horrific memories from something they'd experienced before... well. There's a reason he's deeply struggling with this storm business, and he knows he's not alone in that. Some of the people here have come from their own horrors. ]

I've never really had to deal with snowstorms before. Sometimes it would rain a lot, but I don't think that's quite the same.

[Hm.]

Do snowstorms have lightening? Or tornadoes.

[ Edward takes a moment to think on it, offering a thoughtful hum. ]

I've weathered a few. I don't believe such things would happen — perhaps some lightning would be possible, but I believe it's quite rare.

[ A pause. The answer speaks for itself, but he asks all the same, giving the boy an opportunity to share of what he's known. Perhaps what he might be dreading? ]

Are those things you've experienced? Lightning, tornadoes.

[He nods.]

I don't think I've been through a tornado.

[Unless it just jumped the trenches he was in, he guesses.]

But I've been through rain and thunderstorms. Rainstorms can be pretty bad...

[Especially when you lived in a big hole in the ground.]

But I don't think its quite like snow. At least not what I've seen so far.

[ Edward tries not to assume too much until he's told direct facts, but.... these storms must have been rather intense to stick out in the boy's mind like this. ]

They can be intense. ....Frightening, [ he adds, giving a little nod. After a moment of thought, he continues. ]

Back on the ship, the men would sometimes have difficulty sleeping during storms. The sounds that wind can make against wood.... at times, it sounded like a spectre shrieking.

[ His officer's cabin was quite near the men's sleeping quarters; he could often hear them, restless, even upset. He wonders if maybe it's something that disturbs Levi, too. ]

Do you think it's the sound of it that's the worst?

No.

[His response is instant.]

Its the rain, the water. But the sound can be spooky, especially if the wind really picks up. We, um...when I was on the front...

[He never really talked about his service, but Edward was a soldier too. Maybe not in the same place or war, but he'd understand, or at least not be too shocked by his stories.]

We fought in trenches, mostly. Long holes dug in the ground. The wind would pass right over us, but the rain...even smaller amounts of flooding could be a problem.

[ Edward's listening intently, and begins to understand. Ah. That is terrifying, a horrifying thought. He may not have experience with trenches and this sort of battling, but he can certainly picture it. ]

....I see. That sounds... horrific. [ His brow knits with genuine empathy, and his mouth tugs into a soft frown. ]

I can only imagine what might happen to a body, trapped in water for so long. ....And what lives the flooding could claim. I am sorry that you've had to experience such horrors.

Water usually soaks into the dirt pretty quickly, but then mud is its own problem...

[He sighs.]

Thanks, I guess. I'm glad its over.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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